DISCLAIMER: Star Trek, Star Trek:Deep Space Nine and its characters are
copyright Paramount and no infringement is intended. The story, such as it
is, is copyright Karen Colohan 1997.

Author's notes: This story was inspired by the episode "In the Cards",
but takes place before the events in that episode.

THE BEAR ESSENTIALS

by Karen Colohan (copyright 1997)

"Don't you feel that you might be taking this whole situation just a
trifle too personally, doctor?" Garak leaned back in his chair, wiping
his lips carefully on his napkin. He regarded his companion with tolerant
amusement. Julian Bashir's hazel eyes darkened.

"No, I do not, Garak," he insisted. "It's totally unfair of Leeta.
It's months now since we conducted the Rite of Separation and she and Rom
got together. There really is no excuse for it. She should have given him
back by now."

"But, doctor..." began the Cardassian in his most reasonable tone.

"No, I'm sorry, Garak," interrupted Julian, "but her behaviour is quite
unacceptable. Leeta knows perfectly well what he means to me. He's been my
companion every night when I've gone to bed for - well, years. He can't possibly
have the same kind of meaning for her." The doctor's face now wore a distinctly
lugubrious expression. "Besides - I miss him, damn it!"

"Is your bed really so empty without him, doctor?" enquired Garak
sardonically. The look in his bright blue eyes implied that he didn't believe
it for one moment.

"You're not taking this seriously, are you, Garak?" accused Julian. "And,
for your information, there is no one right now to take my mind off him,"
admitted the doctor as an afterthought. The Cardassian filed this particular
tidbit away for future reference before replying.

"It is a little difficult to do so, in the circumstances," he said
reasonably, responding to the young man's accusation. "Anyway, if he is so
important why don't you simply ask Leeta to return him to you?"

"Oh, I couldn't..." Julian sounded horrified by the suggestion.

"Whyever not?" asked Garak, mystified.

"I don't want her to know how much I miss him." Julian gave an
embarrassed half-smile as the Cardassian shook his head in disbelief.

"So why are you telling me your guilty secret?" Garak wondered as he
leaned forward, sapphire eyes gleaming conspiratorially. A faint smile tugged
at the corners of his lips. Julian sighed, knowing that the tailor was teasing
him, but deciding to take his comment at face value anyway.

"Because you're good at keeping secrets and I trust you to keep mine,"
replied the doctor. "Garak, if Leeta knew it would be all round the station
before you could say..."

"Kukalaka?" suggested the Cardassian ironically.

"Garak..." muttered Julian reproachfully.

"I'm sorry, doctor," apologised the tailor, sitting back in his chair
and raising a placatory hand. "So, am I to understand that you do not feel
it would - enhance your reputation if it were to be widely known that you
were miserable because your ex-girlfriend had failed to return your - teddy
bear?" Garak directed a look of innocent enquiry at his lunch companion.

"Then your secret is safe with me, doctor. I suppose I can see your point,"
he conceded. "In any event, what do you intend to do now to secure
Kukalaka's return?"

"For the moment - nothing," replied Julian morosely. "I just hope Leeta's
sense of common decency will make her realise she should give him back soon."
The doctor visibly pulled himself together. "Ah well, I really do have to
get back to the Infirmary. I enjoyed our lunch, Garak. See you tomorrow?"

"Of course, doctor," agreed Garak graciously. He wasn't about to turn
down the opportunity to spend more time in the human's company even if it
did seem likely he would continue to bemoan the loss of his childhood toy.
"I shall look forward to it." The Cardassian smiled one of his most pleasant
smiles. Julian got up from the table and paused just long enough to recycle
his empty tray in the replicator before leaving the Replimat. Garak looked
after the retreating form thoughtfully. An idea was beginning to take shape
in his mind. If it was company that Julian sought, perhaps the good doctor
might consider an alternative to his missing teddy bear...

Julian was relaxing in his quarters, absently reviewing some new research
papers, when his door chime sounded. He looked up from his reading in surprise.
He had not been expecting any visitors at this late hour. Throwing his PADD
aside and climbing to his feet the doctor called open the door. The identity
of his visitor turned out to be even more unexpected.

"Garak?" Julian regarded the Cardassian standing on his doorstep curiously.

"Good evening, doctor, may I come in?" asked Garak pleasantly.

"It's a little late for social calls, isn't it?" observed Julian, a little
more sharply than he had intended.

"I'm sorry," said Garak at once. He did not miss the edge to the doctor's
tone. Perhaps this had been a mistake. "I should go..."

"Thank you." Garak inclined his head graciously as he walked past the
doctor and into the main living area. Julian turned to look at him expectantly.

"What did you want?" he asked. "It must have been important to bring
you here so late."

"Indeed, I have been thinking, doctor - it's about our conversation earlier."
Julian looked confused at the tailor's words as he tried to fathom which
part of their discussion Garak might be referring to.

"What - exactly?" he enquired.

"Why, about your teddy bear," announced Garak with an expansive smile.
"To be precise, about how you have missed having Kukalaka to keep you company
at night." Julian's expression was becoming more incredulous by the moment.
He regarded the Cardassian as if he were beginning to have serious doubts
about his sanity.

"Garak," said the young man at last, each word spoken slowly and with
considerable deliberation, "you stopped by my quarters at past 2300 hours
just to talk about the fact that my ex-girlfriend still has possession of
my teddy bear?"

"Not - precisely, doctor..." Garak's voice held a little less certainty
than it had at the outset.

"What then?" asked Julian, a slight irritation beginning to show itself.
The tailor rallied himself as the doctor's question gave him the opening
he had been seeking.

"I wondered if you might have considered - an alternative," Garak suggested,
eyeing the human carefully.

"I'm sorry?" Julian frowned, not understanding at all where the Cardassian
was taking this conversation.

"Another companion, perhaps..." continued Garak. His eyes sought out
and held the doctor's.

"Garak?" Julian returned the steady gaze curiously, trying to interpret
the strange, unfamiliar expression in his friend's bright blue eyes.

"Doctor..." There was an equally unaccustomed intensity to Garak's tone
that took Julian by surprise. As their gazes remained locked a look of slowly
dawning comprehension settled on the young man's face.

"Garak, are you...?" Julian's voice had dropped to barely more than a
whisper with the shock of realisation. "Do you mean...?"

"Yes, doctor, I was referring - to myself." The words were simply spoken,
without inflection. Very slowly Garak advanced, continuing to watch Julian's
face intently with every step he took towards him. The doctor's eyes widened
at his friend's approach, but he made no move to back away or avoid him.
When Garak was only inches away, he stopped. Carefully he reached out and
rested his broad palms lightly on Julian's shoulders.

"You really are serious, aren't you?" said Julian softly. His hazel eyes
betrayed a mixture of surprise, confusion and uncertainty.

"Doctor, I do not think that I have been more serious about anything
in a very long time," replied Garak solemnly.

"I - don't know quite what to say," admitted Julian honestly.

"Tell me, is it entirely out of the question?" the Cardassian asked with
quiet intensity. "If it is then I will leave now and no harm is done."

"No harm...?" A trace of genuine anger sparked in Julian's eyes. "Do
you seriously expect me to just let you walk out of here and act as if nothing
ever happened after this, Garak?"

"Doctor, I'm sorry. I should go, before irreparable damage is done to
our friendship." Garak sighed, his hurt evident. "Forgive me. I have obviously
allowed my observational skills to become rustier than I had believed," he
concluded, somewhat to the doctor's surprise. The Cardassian reluctantly
let his hands drop from Julian's slender shoulders - immediately regretting
the loss of the human warmth against his skin - and moved to turn away.

"No, stop - Garak..." Julian's long fingers curved around Garak's arm,
pulling him back to face him. "It's all right. I wasn't asking you to leave."

"But you said..." Now it was the tailor's turn to look confused.

"I only meant that I didn't see how you could expect there to be no
consequences - whatever the outcome of this conversation," explained Julian
patiently. "I did not mean that I didn't want you to stay. It's just - well
you have to admit this has all come rather out of the blue. I'm having a
little difficulty taking it all in. You have to give me a chance to get used
to the idea. After all this time I... You..." The doctor shook his head,
clearly still somewhat bemused at the turn of events. His gaze lighted on
his hand where it still firmly gripped the Cardassian's arm and he stared
at it fixedly. "I thought that if you were going to make a move you would
have done it long ago. I'd pretty much given up even thinking about the
possibility," he added quietly, almost to himself.

"Then you - do want...? began Garak hopefully.

"Yes, Garak, I'd like you to stay," agreed Julian. A slightly shy smile
spread across his face as he made his decision. It caused Garak's own lips
to curve in an answering gesture. "I'd also very much like to know exactly
what you had in mind to stop me from missing Kukalaka."

"Oh, my dear doctor..." murmured Garak as Julian drew him closer. The
young man tilted his head in silent question. By way of reply the Cardassian
leaned in and kissed him gently. The soft human lips parted, welcoming the
caress. At once the kiss deepened as buried instincts took over. By the time
Julian and Garak broke apart they were both quite breathless and utterly
enchanted by the experience.

"Garak," declared Julian, his face flushed and his clear eyes alight
with wonder, "I think I'm missing Kukalaka less already. Do you have any
other ideas? I'm sure you could help me get over his not being here altogether,
if you put your mind to it."

The Cardassian's answering smile was wide and predatory, but the human
didn't seem to object. He was quickly lost in a haze of rising desire as
strong, grey hands found their way inside his uniform. Skilfully Garak disposed
of the fabric which impeded his progress until he was able to touch, explore
and marvel over every inch of Julian's fascinating smooth, brown skin. He
also spared a few moments to discard his own clothing, drawing a murmur of
approval for his exotically ornamented body from the young man.

"Doctor," advised Garak between kisses, "when it comes to such matters
I think you will find me a veritable latinum mine of ideas." Julian did not
reply. With a little encouragement from the Cardassian he had found a much
more enjoyable use for his mouth. Garak's last coherent thought before the
doctor's busily nibbling teeth and lips made thinking impossible was to offer
a silent vote of thanks to Leeta, and to hope that she did not tire of Kukalaka's
company too soon!